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| Hiking | 8.60 Miles |
2,000 AEG |
| | Hiking | 8.60 Miles | 3 Hrs 30 Mns | | 2.65 mph |
| 2,000 ft AEG | 15 Mns Break | 10 LBS Pack | | |
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| no partners | | I journeyed to the land before Scott, because basically everything up here is new to me and I haven't even been near Pre-Scott in nearly a decade. September of 2010, and back then I was over near Granite Mountain on a climbing route. Well, I needed to change that, so I did. I still feel the same about the stop and go on SR 69, 10 years later.
I came for Spruce Mountain, not this trail itself. I saw this before the Groom Crick route, but read elsewhere that is a busy route. #297 was not. I saw a number of hikers and bikers on the summit from Groom. The road walk was fine, and the views were enjoyable. The Bradshaw Mountains are nice, just very ranchetted up. Shocking amounts of development here. But, if I had money to burn, I'd buy a disposable house in a tinder box, too! I bet those premiums are worth every subsidized dollar! Still, I wouldn't want to live in a place like Potato Patch in a snowy winter. Seasonally? Hmmmmm.
The trail is in what I now consider excellent condition, for Arizona with our ever present rock, shallow soils, and propensity towards soil eroding summer thunderstorms(and now warm, tropical-moisture-infused winter storms). The lower burn as mentioned by Preston is open, but the brush is returning to full flammability! Nah, it actually looks Okay, and there are some pine seedlings out in it. Mostly, it looks like a random fuel reduction project was carried out here. The rest is half decent pine. There was even a small stream flowing, which was nice.
Spruce Mountain was interesting. Scenic, cool, had a good view of all new terrain. After Union, I felt it offered a more interesting and diverse view than Union, though Union has a better view of the Tower (Massif?) to the south, and on a clear day would provide some excellent views to perhaps as far as the Eagle Tails and Woolsey. Spruce offers up north views of dead volcanoes, plus some filler in Sedona.
Probably the most interesting thing was the view to the West-northwest out over SR 89, Granite Mountain, and Prescott, as that is more undiscovered country, for me. Aquarius Mountains, Santa Maria Mountains, and all. Do I sense a dawning of a new age? |
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Cathy and I eventually settled into a rhythm that would allow us to continue. We need to do more hiking at higher elevations it seems. 
